Samuel Cobb
Samuel Cobb (1675 - 1713) was an English poet, critic and school master who was known for a light hearted, ironic pose in his verse and a witty, good natured personal life. Life Cobb was born in London and orphaned early in his life. He attended Christ's Hospital under the Lord Mayor's charity and continued with indigent aid to Trinity College, Cambridge for his B.A. in 1698 and M.A. in 1702. Upon graduation with the master's degree, he began teaching at his old school, Christ's Hospital, where he would continue until his death. Cobb was a classicist and a teacher of grammar at Christ's Hospital, and his poetry shows his knowledge of ancient Greek. His first publication was in 1694, with A Pindarique Ode . . . in Memory of Queen Mary. The next year, he published Bersaba, and in 1697 he wrote Pax redux. He wrote several other odes and poems celebrating royal occasions, evidently with an eye toward gaining sufficient funds to relieve his poverty. This was a habit he would continue with 1709's The Female Reign (on the accession of Anne). Cobb was also interested in earthy humor. In 1707, he wrote Discourse on Criticism and the Liberty of Writing and argued for the virtue and freedom of the author against too nice a critique. He wrote Mouse-Trap in 1708, and translated Chaucer's The Miller's Tale in 1712. Cobb's translation was extremely popular, and it colored the eighteenth century's understanding of Chaucer. He also worked with John Ozell and Nicholas Rowe to translate The Works of Lucian in 1710-1711. Cobb's cause of death is unknown. He was buried in the cloisters of his school. Writing His most famous poem was Poetae Britannici in 1700, a survey of previous English poetry in a light style, clear diction, and imagery that later critics like John Nichols considered "sublime." See also *List of British poets Publications Poetry *''A Pindarique Ode: Humbly offer'd to the ever-blessed memory of our late Queen Mary''. London: John Whitlock, 1694. *''Bersaba; or, The love of David: A poem''. London: J. Whitlock, 1695. *''Pax Redux: A Pindarick ode on the return of his Majesty, and the happy conclusion of the peace''. London: R. Whitlock, 1697. *''Poetae Brittannici: A poem, satryical and panegyrical, upon our British poets. London: A. Roper, & R. Basset, 1700. *''The Portugal Expedition. London: R. Basset, 1704. *''Honour Retriev'd: A poem occasion'd by the late victories''. London: Wm. Turner & John Nutt, 1705. *''A Psalm of Thanksgiving: To be sung by the the children of Christ's Hospital''. London: Fr. Leach, printer to Christ's Hospital, 1706. *''Poems on Several Occasions''. London: R. & J. Bonwick, 1707. *''The Female Reign: An ode attempted in the style of Pindar''. London: J. Woodward, 1709. *''Poems on Several Occasions''. London: E. Curll & E. Sanger, 1709; London: James Woodward, 1710. *''A Panegyrical Elegy on the Death of Gassendus''. London: 1712. Non-fiction *Johannes Alexander, A Synopsis of Algebra: Done from the Latin J. Alexander. London: J. Barber, for Christ's Hospital, 1709. *''Clavis Virgiliana; or, New observations upon the works of Virgil''. London: E. Curll, 1714. *''News from Both Universities; containing 1: Mr. Cobb's Tripos speech at Cambridge, with a complete key inserted; 2: The brawny priest, or the captivity of the nose: a poem''. London: J. Roberts, 1714. *''Samuel Cobb's Discourse on criticism and of poetry'' (with introduction by Louis I. Bredvold). Ann Arbor, MI: Augustan Reprint Society, 1946; New York: Kraus Reprint, 1967. Collected editions *''Discourse of Criticiem / Of Poetry'' (from Poems on Several Occasions, 1707). Los Angeles: Augustan Reprint Society, 1946. Translated *Edward Holdsworth, The Mouse-Trap: Written in Latin, made English. 1712. *Geoffrey Chaucer, The Carpenter of Oxford; or, The Miller's Tale attempted in modern English. London: E. Curll, R. Gosling, & J. Pemberton, 1712. Except where note, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Samuel Cobb, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, May 12, 2016. References * *Bowden, Betsy. "Samuel Cobb." In Matthew, H.C.G. and Brian Harrison, eds. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography vol. 12, p 266-7. London: Oxford University Press. Notes External links ;Poems *Samuel Cobb at Poetry Nook ("Antiquity of Poetry") *Samuel Cobb (1675-1713) info & 4 poems at English Poetry, 1579-1830 ;Books * ;About Cobb, Samuel Category:English poets Category:English translators Category:People educated at Christ's Hospital Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Category:1675 births Category:1713 deaths Category:Christ's Hospital staff Category:English male poets Category:17th-century poets Category:18th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets